Английский язык с Робинзоном Крузо/Robinson Crusoe Written Anew for Children

"Here they are," was the answer. "Here's our captain at the head of a whole army

of fighting men. The boatswain is dead, and Bill Fry is dead, and all the rest of us are

prisoners. If you don't yield, you are lost."

"If they'll give us quarters, we'll yield," said Smith.

Then the captain himself spoke up. "You, Smith," he said, "you know my voice. If

you lay down your arms at once, you shall have your lives — all but Will Atkins."

Upon this, Will Atkins cried out: "For God's sake, Captain, give me quarter! What

have I done? I have been no worse than the rest."

Now this was not true. For it was Will Atkins who had first laid hold of the

captain, and it was he who had tied the captain's hands.

"Nay, Will Atkins," said the captain. "You know what you have done, and I can

promise you nothing. You must lay down your arms and trust to the governor's mercy."

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By "the governor" he meant me, Robinson Crusoe — for they called me governor.

The upshot of the whole matter was that they all laid down their arms and begged

for their lives.

Then I sent three of my men to bind them with strong cords, which they did,

much to my joy.

After that I sent my great army of fifty men — which, after all, were only five

besides the three who already had them in charge — to lead them to prison.

I told the captain that it would be better to put some of our prisoners in one place

and some in another, as then they would be less likely to try to escape.

He and Friday therefore took Atkins with two others who were the worst to my

cave in the woods. It was a dismal place, but very safe. There the rough fellows were left

with their hands and feet tied fast, and the door blocked up with a huge stone.

Late as it was, I sent the rest of them to my bower. As they also were bound, and

as the place was fenced in and was very strong, they were quite safe there.

They were all much frightened. For they believed that the island was inhabited by

Englishmen, and that the governor had really a large army. They felt that the better they

behaved the safer they would be.

The captain went out to talk with them.

"My men," he said, "you all know what a great crime you have committed. You

are now in the power of the governor of this island. He will send you to England. There

you will be tried, and you will be hanged in chains."

At these words they turned pale and groaned. For they were but young men and

had been led into this by the four or five ruffians who were the ringleaders.

"Now, my men," the captain went on, "you know that I have always been kind to

you."

"Certainly you have," said Tom Smith.

"Aye, aye!" cried all the rest.

"Well, then," said the captain, "it grieves my heart to see you in this hard case.

The ship, as you know, still lies at anchor off the shore. It is still held by some of the

ruffians who brought this trouble upon us. If I should persuade the governor to set you

free, what say you? Would you help me retake the ship?"

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"Aye, aye!" they all cried. "We would stand by you to the end, for we should then

owe our lives, to you."

"Well, then," said the captain, "I will see what I can do. I will go and talk with the

governor."

The matter was soon arranged.

The captain was to choose five of those he thought would be most faithful. These

were to help him retake the ship. But the rest were to stay in prison as hostages.

If the five behaved themselves well, then all were to be set free. If they did not

behave, then all were to be put to death.

These were the governor's orders.

It was then agreed that the captain, with all the men he could trust, should go out

to the ship. I and my man Friday were to stay on shore to watch the prisoners.

The hole in the bottom of the long boat was soon mended. Four men, with the

passenger as their leader, went out in this. The captain, with five men, went out in the

other boat.

It was after midnight when they reached the ship.

The men on board were taken by surprise, for they thought that these were their

friends who were but just then returning to the ship.

They even threw a rope to them and helped them on board, never suspecting that

anything was wrong.

The whole business was managed well. The second mate and the carpenter, who

were among the leaders in the plot, were soon overpowered.

The rebel captain, the worst of the crew, was asleep in his berth. He sprang up and

showed fight. He shot three times at the captain's party, wounding the mate but touching

no one else.

The mate, wounded as he was, raised his musket and fired. The rebel captain fell

to the deck with a bullet through his head.

The rest, seeing that they were without leaders, fell upon their knees and begged

for their lives.

Thus the captain became again the master of his own ship.

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